Live coverage of the President's visit to Joplin, Mo.

Obama is expected to speak at the 2 p.m. service at the Missouri Southern State University's Taylor Performing Arts Center

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 2:32:34 PM

We'll bring you live video of the event and any other video or pictures of his tour of the destruction here on the live blog

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 2:32:59 PM

Stay tuned

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 2:33:07 PM

CNN says the President will be landing around 12:30 pm in Joplin

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 2:33:38 PM

After landing he will meet with locals at the airport, then go on a tour of the damage

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 2:34:00 PM

KMBC's Mike Mahoney is in Joplin...

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 3:01:47 PM

Mahoney took this picture of a search dog from Texas still searching the rubble

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 3:02:34 PM

The remnants of the Greenbriar nursing home

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 3:03:49 PM

More searching

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 3:04:27 PM

From the City of Joplin: Residents are encouraged to stop their activities and pause for a Moment of Silence at 5:41 p.m. on Sunday, May 29 to honor those who lost their lives or have been injured and are suffering because of this disaster that struck Joplin one week ago. The initial report of the EF-5 tornado on the ground in Joplin was made at 5:41 p.m. May 22.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 3:07:21 PM

The City will gather at the Cunningham Park parking lot, just east of 26th & McClelland Boulevard. Residents do not have to go to this location to participate, they can just stop where they are and pause for the observance.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 3:07:49 PM

Immediately after the moment of silence, “Sing Again”, a song that is a tribute to this disaster in Joplin will be played by KZRG radio. The song was written by Mark Laperle in Bedford, Virginia. In an email describing the song, Laperle said, “The story of devastation and loss from Joplin has not gone unnoticed. I have no doubt there are literally millions of Christians across America praying for you.”

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 3:08:25 PM

For those wanting to download the song, it can be found at www.joplinmo.org at the “TORNADO” information link. It will be available after the observance.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 3:08:39 PM

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 3:19:36 PM

From the AP: The president will visit with survivors and family members of the worst tornado in decades, a monster storm that tore through Joplin a week ago leaving more than 130 dead and hundreds more injured. About 100 others are unaccounted for, and the damage is massive.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 4:26:37 PM

The president will tour destroyed neighborhoods in the city of 50,000 in southwestern Missouri, and speak at a memorial service being held by local clergy and Gov. Jay Nixon for those who lost their lives. He'll offer federal assistance, and his own condolences.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 4:27:26 PM

From Mike Mahoney: President Barack Obama left Andrews Air Force this morning an aircraft smaller than the customary blue and white 747. White House pool report did not say what kind of aircraft he is on.The smaller plane is an accommodation to the shorter runway Air Force One will land on in southwest Missouri. Here’s the first pool report for the President’s Joplin visit:Good morning from Andrews. Marine One was wheels down at 11. POTUS wearing brown pants, window-pane check shirt and black windbreaker. No tie. Carney and Alyssa Mastromonaco are traveling with.

POTUS shook hands and chatted briefly with retiring member of AF1 crew and his family.

There are twitter reports that the Westboro Baptist Church folks have been stopped by truckers at a Flying J on the way to Joplin

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 4:46:15 PM

This has not been confirmed

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 4:46:19 PM

AP: A hospital near tornado-ravaged Joplinhas nearly doubled its labor and delivery capacity to handle an influx of patients since Sunday. The 35-bed McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital in Carthage treatedabout 30 pregnant patients that had no previous ties to thefacility from Sunday through Thursday. During that same span it delivered four babies, two from Joplin.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 4:48:28 PM

Update on Westboro blockade: Still unconfirmed. Now conflicting reports it never happened. Will let you know if we get something confirmed

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 4:50:36 PM

AP: There are now 40 people who remain unaccounted for a week after a massive tornado hit Joplin. Mike O'Connell, spokesman for the Missouri Department of PublicSafety, told The Associated Press on Sunday that the number of unaccounted "just dropped" to 40 because of the latest deceased whose next-of-kin have been notified. The number had stood at about 100.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 5:13:37 PM

Reporters in Joplin say they can see Air Force 1 flying over the City.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 5:22:47 PM

Setup begins for Memorial Service.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 5:25:18 PM

any info on if the trucker have stopped WBC from going into the city

by brian5/29/2011 5:28:02 PM

@ Brian we have nothing confirmed on that. We have heard it may not have happened.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 5:28:55 PM

Outside the memorial service. You can watch the memorial LIVE at the following link (the service has NOT started yet): www.kmbc.com

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 5:35:41 PM

Inside the memorial service...the service has not started yet.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 5:41:15 PM

is it true the list of people unaccounted for is down to 40\

by jessica5/29/2011 5:43:49 PM

@ Jessica yes that is true

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 5:44:00 PM

Any sign of westboro in joplin or its surrounding areas?

by Tyler5/29/2011 5:45:08 PM

@ Tyler not that we know of

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 5:45:13 PM

White House Pool Report: Lil’ AF1 wheels down in Joplin at 12:22 local. Bumpy ride into the tiny airport as we flew over the affected area before turning around . From the air, it looked as if a massive bulldozer drove straight through the center of town. POTUS saw the damage from the plane, Carney said. Confirming that what we flew over was in fact Joplin, but it’s hard to imagine destruction of that magnitude in another town nearby.

POTUS deplaned with a wave, shaking hands and chatting with officials who greeted him. Motorcade rolling.”

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 5:51:49 PM

AP: Air Force One swept over a massive swath of brown as far as the eye could see - a landscape of flattened houses and stripped trees on its approach. Gov. Jay Nixon and others greeted him on the tarmac before they set out for their first stop, a walking tour of a destroyed neighborhood. A memorial service later was punctuating a day of remembrance and toil as authorities pressed on with the tasks of poking through wreckage and identifying the dead.

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 6:05:17 PM

CNN Report: Hall where the memorial service will be held is full

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 6:26:45 PM

Roughly 2000 people can fit in the hall

by Brian Foster - KMBC.com5/29/2011 6:26:53 PM

Folks who didn't get a seat will be taken to an overflow location where they can watch and participate.